• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, February 29, 2016

Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest Group laid off 80 staffers today as part of what the agency network called a “talent calibration.”

The layoffs occurred at both media agencies Starcom and MediaVest as well as at other unbranded SMG business units.

And the pink slips follow a rough patch for the group in recent months including the decision by big box giant Walmart to part ways with MediaVest after nine years. MediaVest lost a big piece of Coca-Cola business a few months back and SMG lost a large chunk of Procter & Gamble business.

Partially offsetting those losses were Visa and Twitter wins for Starcom and Keurig and New York Life Insurance Co. wins for MediaVest.

The company issued this statement:   “We routinely evaluate all aspects of our business to map to our clients’ needs and the future. As a result, we are making talent calibrations across our U.S. operations.”

Sources insisted that no particular loss triggered the cuts. While the combined losses had some impact on the decision, it was more about aligning the right talent for future client needs. Also, sources added, the recent reorganization of Publicis, resulting in the formation of Publicis Media was unrelated to the cuts.